Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (EP/SK)

Bantwal, Oct 2: The counting of votes for the by-election at Kadeshivalaya Taluk panchayat constituency is completed. BJP candidate Kamalakshi K Poojary has secured 3,362 votes while Congress candidate Rajeevi has secured 2,832 votes. The constituency which was won by BJP last time has won it this time too.

Bantwal taluk panchayat has 33 members. There were 17 BJP members and 16 Congress members. During the election of president and vice president to the second term as BJP candidate Jayanti was absent, both the parties had equal strength. As per the reservation criteria, BJP’s Lalitha Shivappa Naik was elected president and the vice president was elected by picking the lot. BJP’s Ananda Shamboor was elected vice president.

The winner Jayanti had resigned as she was an Anganwadi worker and the election was held for the position that became vacant. The taluk panchayat constituency has been won by BJP once again. The BJP strength has become 17 and Congress 16 as before.

The election was a question of prestige for both the parties. The personality of Kamalakshi Poojary has brought success for BJP. She has won elections thrice and was the grama panchayat president twice.

Congress had to face defeat though it is represented by Congress minister in Bantwal and Congress lady MLA in Puttur.